narrative form in which characters and actions have meanings outside themselves; characters are usually personifications of abstract qualities

alliteration

repetition ofinitial consonant sounds or any vowel sounds within a formal grouping, such as a poetic line or stanza, or in close proximity in prose

allusion

figure of speech which makes a brief, even casual reference to a historical or literary figure, event, or object to create a resonance in the reader or to apply a symbolic meaning to the character or object of which the allusion consists

anachronism

use of historically inaccurate details in a text

anadiplosis

repitition of the last word of one clause at the beginning of the next clause

analogy

comparison of two things that are alike in some respects

anaphora

regular repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases or clauses

aphorism

concise statement designed to make a point or issustrate a commonly held belief

apology

used as a synonym for teh word defense

apostrophe

figure of speech in which a person, thing, or abstract quality is addressed as if present

asyndeton

practice of omitting conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses

antithesis

juxtaposition of sharply contrasting ideas in balanced or parallel words or phrases

polysyndeton

repetition of conjunctions in close succession

bildungsroman

novel or story whose theme is the moral or psychological growth of the main character

catharsis

purification or cleansing of the spirit through the emotions of pity and terror as a witness to a tragedy

chiasmus

figure of speech by which the order of terms in the first of parallel clauses is reversed in the second

colloquial

ordinary language; the vernacular

connotation

what is implied by a word

denotation

dictionary definition of a word; direct and specific meaning

deus ex machina

as in greek theater, the use of an artificial device or contrived solution to solve a difficult situtation, usually introcuded suddenly and unexpectedly

diction

author's choice of words to convey a tone or effect

didactic

intended for teaching or to teach a moral lesson

doppelganger

ghostly counterpart of a living person or alter ego

epigraph

quote set at the beginning of a literary work or at its divisions to set the tone or suggest a theme

epiphany

sudden or intuitive insight or perception into the reality or essential meaning of something usually brought on by a simple or common occurrence or experience

epistrophe

repetition of a word or words as the end of two or more successive verses, clauses or sentences

epistolary

piece of literature contained in or carried on by letters

epitaph

piece or writing in praise of a deceased person

euphemism

substitution of a milder or less direct expression for one that is harsh or blunt

eulogy

spech or writing in praise of a person or thing; oration in honor of a deceased person

foil

person or thing that makes another seem better by contrast

foreshadow

hint at or present things to come in a story or play

hamartia

aristotle's term for the main character's tragic flaw or error in judgment

hyperbole

overstatement characterized by exaggerated language

imagery

sensory details in a work; use of figurative language to evoke a feeling, call to mind an idea, or describe an object

hubris

self pride

in medias res

refers to opening a story in the middle of the action, requiring filling in past details by expositon or flashback

irony

situation or statement characterized by significant difference between what is expected or understood and what actually happens or what is meant

verbal irony

character says one thing and means another

dramatic irony

audience knows something character does not know

situational irony

opposite of what we expect occurs

isocolon

parallel structure in which the parallel elements are similar not only in grammatical structure, but also in length

litote

form of understatement in which the negative of the contrary is used to achieve emphasis and intensity

metaphor

implicit comparison or identification of one thing with another unlike itself without the use of a verbal signal such as like or as

metonymy

figure of speech that uses the name of one thing to name or designate something

motif

recurrent device, formula, or situation that often serves as a signal for the appearance of a character or event

oxymoron

figure of speech that combines two apparently contradictory elements

paradox

statement that seems contradictory but is actually ture

parallelism

recurrent syntactical similarity where several parts of a sentence or several sentences are expressed alike to show that the ideas in the pars or sentences equal in imporance. adds balance, rhythm and clarity to the sentence

realism

literary practice of attempting to describe life and nature without idealization and with attention to detail

satire

literary style used to make fun or or ridicule an idea or human vice or weakness

symbolism

person, place, thing, event, or pattern in a literary work that designates itself and at the same time figurataively represents something else. Use of one object to suggest another hidden object or idea

synecdoche

figure of speech in which a part signifies the whole

syntax

the way words are put together to form phrases, clauses and sentences. It is sentence structurea nd how it influences the way a reader perceives a piece of writing

tone

attitude a literary work takes towards its subject and theme. Reflects narrator's attitude

trope

use of a word in a figurative sense with a decided change or extension in its literal meaning

understatement

deliberate expression of an idea or event as less important than it actually is or was

zeugma

gramatically correct linkage of one subject with two or more verbs or a verb with two or more direct objects. Linking shows a relationship between ideas more clearly